High yielding Rice Variety with limited water needs

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DRR Dhan 44 is characterized by very high yield under limited water conditions. Recently farmers harvested 8 tonnes/ha in Telangana state during Rabi and Kharif. It is doing exceedingly well under dry direct seeded conditions (sprinkler irrigation) with minimal inputs. . It is an early duration; drought tolerant, high yielding and long slender grain variety suited both for transplanted and direct seeded aerobic cultivation with good weed competitive ability.

Rice variety DRR Dhan 44 (IET 22081) was released in the year 2014 for cultivation under irrigated conditions for the states of Uttarakhand, Haryana and Bihar.

The drought tolerance in rice is very complex, controlled by quantitative traits and is the very reason for poor progress of breeding under drought prone rainfed and low land areas. DRR Dhan 44 was developed by Indian Institute of Rice Research, Rajendranagar, Hyderabad, under the IRRI-India project on Stress Tolerant Rice for Asia and South Africa (STRASA). Though DRR Dhan 44 is released for cultivation under irrigated conditions, it is characterized by very high yield under limited water conditions.

Empirical Evidences

At different locations across the country, it had shown yield advantage over national or regional or local checks viz., of 25.4 over Sahbhagidhan and 31.1% over Narendra 97 on overall basis, 9.8% over Pant Dhan 11 in Uttrakhand, 31.97% over Govind in Haryana, 34.72% over both Prabhat and Rajendra Bhagvati in Bihar.

It has desirable grain quality characteristics and several other desirable traits. DRR Dhan 44 is resistant blast, moderate resistant to other diseases and pests such as bacterial leaf blight and plant hoppers.

It has tolerance to drought at reproductive stage and also has high nutrient use efficiency.

Performance of DRR Dhan 44 in FLDs and Head to Head Trials during Kharif 2016

Field level demonstrations were conducted during Kharif 2016 to demonstrate the yield advantage of DRR Dhan 44 over mega variety MTU 1010 in Buchiguda village of Farooknagar Mandal of Mehaboob Nagar district of Telangana state. A total of nine farmers (G. Venkat Reddy, G. Narender Reddy, R Mallesh Goud, P Venkat Reddy, K Venkataiah Goud, K Venkatesh, Lakshminarayana Reddy, A Domodhar Reddy and G Narsimha Reddy) cultivated DRR dhan in a total of five hectares. On an average, the yield advantage of DRR Dhan 44 over MTU 1010 was 11.67%. Farmers were satisfied with its cultivation, its high yield and quality and are continuing with its cultivation during Kharif.

In Head to Head trial conducted at Chinna solipet of Shabad Mandal in Rangareddy district of Telangana state, Mr Harikrishna Reddy harvested DRR Dhan 44 with a yield advantage of 25% over popular local variety MTU 1010.

Widespread cultivation of DRR Dhan 44

The demand for breeder seed of DRR Dhan 44 is gradually increasing since its release. Widespread cultivation of DRR Dhan 44 is seen as evident from seven times increase in the breeder seed indent from 2015-16 to 2017-18